Field
The present invention relates to energy storage devices, particularly to methods and apparatuses for fabricating dry particle films for use in energy storage devices.
Description of the Related Art
There are many different types of energy storage devices used to power electronic devices, including for example capacitors, such as for example, ultracapacitors or lithium-ion capacitors, batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells. An energy storage device can include one or more films, such as an electrode film forming an electrode of the energy storage device. The electrode film may comprise one or more active materials. The film can include a fibrillized binder component, the fibrillized binder component providing a plurality of fibrils which can support one or more other components of the film (e.g., providing mechanical structure for the film).
Fibrillization of binder components for electrode films can be typically performed using a mechanical fibrillization process. Components of the electrode film, including the binder component of the electrode film, can be combined and blended in an apparatus, such as, a blender, and/or a jet mill in which a strong shear force can be applied upon the binder component to manipulate the binder component so as to form fibrils. Fibrillization of the binder component can facilitate formation of a matrix, lattice and/or web of fibrils in which one or more other components of an electrode film, such as an active electrode material, can be supported. Fibrils of a binder component can provide desired mechanical strength for an electrode film. For example, the fibrils can provide films having desired resistance to a tensile, shear, compressive, and/or twisting stress, facilitating fabrication of energy storage devices having dry particle electrode films.